Behind the press, it is just me and a wonderful team of creatives and freelancers that turn each story into a beautiful book. I run the press from my converted garage in Canterbury, where I live with my husband and son. I am originally from northeast Spain, and I lived in Italy and Germany before settling in the UK. I hold a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Kent. My book Domestic Architecture, Literature, and the Sexual Imaginary in Europe, 1850 – 1930 came out in 2022 with Edinburgh University Press. Before I decided to shape my passion for literary fiction into Héloïse Press, I worked in academia, education, TV production, and as a manuscript reader. Héloïse Press came into existence while I was reading Rachel Cusk’s Arlington Park. I am on the hunt for stylistically innovative stories with striking content.
Héloïse Press champions world-wide female talent. Héloïse’s careful selection of books gives voice to emerging and well-established female writers from home and abroad. With a focus on intimate, visceral and powerful narratives, Héloïse Press brings together women’s stories and literary sophistication.
Aina Marti-Balcells